1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer for recording data on the surface of a wrapping material, and particularly to a printer for a wrapping material for recording, on a transparent wrap film used for wrapping foods or the like, time data such as the date and time when wrapping is carried out.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, in ordinary homes a refrigerator has been mainly used for storing foods. Particularly in recent years, a refrigerator has been made large-sized and its performance has been improved. Moreover, various functions have been given thereto. In general, food is wrapped with a wrap film superior in gas-barrier property and stored in a refrigerator to refrigeration-preserve or freezing-preserve the food. In combination with improvement in performance of refrigerators and enlargement in functions thereof, a large number of foods have been stored for a longer period.
However, when a large number of foods are stored in a refrigerator, it is difficult to memorize the preservation period of each of the foods. As a result, inconveniences as follows arise: the appreciation periods of some foods stored in the refrigerator have passed, or some foods have gone bad. Thus, in many cases, the foods have become uneatable.
Thus, in order to solve these problems, suggested are measures that a person records the date when a food is put into a refrigerator on the surface of a wrapping material, such as a wrap film, with which the person wraps the food, using a pen with an oil-based ink, or the like. In the measures, however, it is necessary that the person prepares the pen, checks the date on a calendar or the like, and manually records the date and so on one by one. There arise problems that these conducts may be troublesome for the person and cannot be repeatedly carried out. The odor of the oil-based ink in the pen transfers the food. This is unfavorable for food hygiene.
To solve the problems, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications JP-A 5-149670 (1993) and JP-A 11-170625 (1999) disclose the prior art wherein the date is printed onto a label and the label is attached onto a wrap film with which a food is wrapped. In the prior art disclosed in JP-A 5-149670, correct preservation date and time of a food are recognized by setting up a printing section in which date data and time data can be printed to a storing room for storing foods, making a label on which the date and time when a food is preserved and other data, and attaching this label onto the wrapping material or the container of the food. JP-A 11-170625 discloses a printer that can be afterward mounted on a refrigerator or the like. In a way similar to the above-mentioned prior art, it is possible to attach a label onto the wrapping material and check the preservation date and time thereof. Since the printer has a memory, it is also possible to make a database of stored foods.
However, in such prior art that a label is attached, there remains a problem that sufficient function cannot be exhibited unless a user consciously recognizes that a food is being preserved. That is, when a user preserves a food in the above-mentioned prior art, the following three steps are at least necessary: (1) the step of wrapping the food with a warp film to preserve the food; (2) the step of printing data such as the date on a label; and (3) the step of attaching the label on which the printing has been carried out onto the wrap film or the container for the food. Accordingly, in the case where the user stores a food in a refrigerator in the state that the user forgets that a label is attached onto the food, the steps (2) and (3) are not carried out at all. Thus, date-recognizing function is not sufficiently exhibited.
In light of the problems, a main object of the invention is to provide a printer for a wrapping material, capable of recording the preservation date and time of a food onto a wrapping material, such as a wrap film, to check the date when the food was stored in a refrigerator by the step (1) of wrapping an article, such as a food, with the wrapping material, the step (1) being a routine step, without undergoing the three steps (1)-(3) nor substantial self-awareness of a user.
Another object of the invention is to provide a printer for a wrapping material, capable of recording time data at a position which is highly visible for a user when an article is wrapped.
The invention provides a printer for a wrapping material comprising wrapping material storing means for storing a wrapping material for wrapping an article, clock means for measuring time to generate time data, and output means for recording the time data on a surface of the wrapping material,
wherein when the wrapping material is discharged from the wrapping material storing means, the output means records the time data on the surface of the wrapping material.
According to the invention, time is measured by the clock means when the wrapping material is discharged from the wrapping material storing means. The generated time data is recorded on the surface of the wrapping material by the output means. Therefore, when a user wraps the article with the wrapping material, it is possible to remove such troublesome conducts as recording time data with a pen with an oil-based ink and attaching a label on which time data is recorded. Furthermore, even if the user forgets recording of any time data, time data such as the date and time when the article is wrapped are certainly recorded on the wrapping material. Thus, the user does not know the date and time when the article was wrapped.
In the invention, it is preferable that the wrapping material is wound around a tubular core, and
the wrapping material storing means is provided with a supporting shaft for supporting the wrapping material wound around the core axially and rotatably, and a cutting blade section for cutting the wrapping material discharged from the wrapping material storing means by rotation of the core.
According to the invention, in the state that the wrapping material is wound around the tubular core the wrapping material is axially and rotatably supported by the supporting shaft in the wrapping material storing means. When the article is wrapped, a user rotates the core and pulls out the wrapping material having a necessary length to cut the wrapping material with the cutting blade section. Therefore, the user uses only the wrapping material having the necessary length so that the user can wrap the article.
In the invention, it is preferable that a power source section is stored in the core for winding the wrapping material.
According to the invention, a space can be saved by the volume of the power source section and the whole of the present apparatus can be made small since the power source section is stored in the core for winding the wrapping material.
In the invention, it is preferable that the output means is ink-jet recording means for jetting an ink on the surface of the wrapping material to record the time data thereon.
According to the invention, high quality recording can be realized since the time data is recorded by the ink-jet recording means for jetting the ink on the surface of the wrapping material.
In the invention, it is preferable that the ink used in the ink-jet recording means is an edible ink.
According to the invention, the edible ink is used to record the time data; therefore, safety is further improved, particularly in the case where the article to be wrapped is food.
In the invention, it is preferable that the ink-jet recording means records the time data on the surface of the wrapping material, using at least two color inks for a background color and a character color.
According to the invention, at least two color inks for the background color and the character color are used to record the time data; therefore, the time data can be more easily recognized by arranging a background recorded in the background color around the time data recorded in the character color, particularly in the case where the wrapping material is a transparent wrapping material such as a wrap film.
In the invention, it is preferable that a white ink is used in the ink-jet recording means.
According to the invention, particularly in the case where the article to be wrapped is a food, the time data recorded in white color are more easily recognized since kinds of white foods are a few.
In the invention, it is preferable that an ink having a color small in endotherm quantity is used in the ink-jet recording means.
According to the invention, by using the ink having the color small in endotherm quantity, local heat is not generated even if the food combined with the wrapping material is taken out from a refrigerator and the food is heated as it is in an electronic oven. Thus, it is possible to prevent holes from being made in the wrapping material by heat.
In the invention, it is preferable that an ink that is high in affinity with the wrapping material is used in the ink-jet recording means.
According to the invention, the ink that is high in affinity with the wrapping material is used; therefore, it is possible to prevent the time data recorded on the wrapping material from being rubbed or patchy and record the time data stably.
In the invention, it is preferable that the wrapping material is wound around the tubular core and an ink tank for storing the ink used in the ink-jet recording means is stored inside the core for winding the wrapping.
According to the invention, the ink tank for storing the ink is stored inside the core for winding the wrapping; therefore, a space can be saved by the volume of the ink tank and the whole of the apparatus can be made small.
In the invention, it is preferable that the output means is heat-generating recording means for applying heat onto the surface of the wrapping material to record the time data.
According to the invention, the output means is the heat-generating recording means for applying heat onto the surface of the wrapping material to record the time data; therefore, when the time data is recorded, it is unnecessary to use any ink or any ink ribbon. Thus, costs can be lowered. In the case where the article to be wrapped is a food, no bad effect is produced on the food by any ink so that the safety of the food is not damaged.
The invention further comprises wrapping material discharging means for discharging the wrapping material having a necessary length from the wrapping material storing means.
According to the invention, the user can save labor for discharging the wrapping material manually since the invention further comprises the wrapping material discharging means for discharging the wrapping material having a predetermined length.
In the invention, it is preferable that the output means records the time data on the surface of the wrapping material when the length of the wrapping material discharged from the wrapping material storing means is made into a predetermined length.
According to the invention, the output means records the time data on the surface of the wrapping material when the length of the wrapping material discharged from the wrapping material storing means is made into the predetermined length. That is, even if the discharging speed of the wrapping material is not constant as in the case where the wrapping material is manually discharged, the time data can be recorded in a predetermined position of the wrapping material. Therefore, the recording quality of the time data can be improved.
In the invention, it is preferable that the output means records time data on only one surface of the wrapping material and the other surface of the wrapping material is a surface that directly contacts the article to be wrapped with the wrapping material.
According to the invention, the time data is recorded on the surface that does not contact the article in the wrapping material directly; therefore, even if the recording method is any method, no bad effect is produced on the wrapped article. Particularly in the case where the article to be wrapped is a food, even if the output means is means for carrying out recording with an ink, this ink does not produce any bad effect on the food. Thus, the safety of the food is not damaged. This embodiment is preferred for food hygiene.
In the invention, it is preferable that the wrapping material is a wrap film made of a resin for wrapping a food.
According to the invention, the wrapping material is the food-wrapping wrap film made of a resin, and the output means records the time data on this wrap film. Therefore, the user can certainly check the date and time when the food was wrapped. As a result, it can be prevented that the user forgets the date and time of wrapping the food so that the appreciation period of the food that is being preserved has passed or the food has gone bad. Thus, it is possible to prevent the food from being uneatable.
In the invention, it is preferable that the output means records the time data on the surface of the wrapping material and at a position where the time data is highly visible when the article is wrapped with the wrapping material.
According to the invention, the time data is recorded on the wrapping material at the position where the time data is highly visible; therefore, the user can check the time data without pulling out or overturning the article when the user wraps and preserves the article.
In the invention, it is preferable that the output means records the time data on the surface of the wrapping material in the manner that the time data is in parallel to a discharging direction along which the wrapping material is discharged from the wrapping material storing means.
According to the invention, the time data is recorded in the manner that the time data is in parallel to the discharging direction along which the wrapping material is discharged from the wrapping material storing means; therefore, the output means can be made small so that a space can be saved and costs can be lowered.
In the invention, it is preferable that the output means records the same time data plural times on the surface of the wrapping material at predetermined intervals in the discharging direction along which the wrapping material is discharged from the wrapping material storing means.
According to the invention, the same time data is recorded plural times on the surface of the wrapping material at predetermined intervals in the wrapping material discharging direction; therefore, the article can be wrapped in such a manner that the time data is certainly arranged at a highly visible position regardless of the wrapping manner.
In the invention, it is preferable that the output means records the time data on the surface of the wrapping material at the center in the width direction perpendicular to the wrapping material discharging direction.
According to the invention, the time data is recorded at the center in the width direction of the wrapping material; therefore, the article can be wrapped in such a manner that the time data is certainly arranged at a highly visible position regardless of the wrapping manner.
In the invention, it is preferable that the output means records the time data on the surface of the wrapping material when a predetermined length of the wrapping material is discharged from the wrapping material storing means.
According to the invention, the time data is recorded on the surface of the wrapping material when the predetermined length of the wrapping material is discharged from the wrapping material storing means; therefore, the time data is not recorded at the ends of the wrapping material, which overlaps with each other when the article is wrapped to become less visible.
The invention comprises size selecting means for selecting the size of the wrapping material discharged from the wrapping storing means, wherein the output means records the time data at the center of the surface of the discharged wrapping material, dependently on the size of the wrapping material selected by the size selecting means.
According to the invention, the size selecting means can select the size of the wrapping material and further the time data is recorded at the center of the wrapping material having the selected size; therefore, the user can wrap the article in such a manner that the time data is certainly arranged at a highly visible position. Additionally, waste of the wrapping material can be saved. Costs of consumption articles such-as ink can be reduced since it is unnecessary that the time data is recorded plural times.
The invention comprises display means for displaying the time data that are measured by the clock means.
According to the invention, the display means for displaying the time data is set up; therefore, it is possible to check the date and time when the article was wrapped and check whether the time data is precisely recorded.
In the invention, it is preferable that the time data measured by the clock means are data on a date and data on a moment in the date,
the display means displays the date data and the moment data, and
the output means records the date data and the moment data on the surface of the wrapping material.
According to the invention, the clock means measures the date data and the moment data to generate time data including the date data and the moment data. The display means displays these data and the output means records the time data on the surface of the wrapping material. Therefore, a user can grasp the time data in more detail.
In the invention, it is preferable that the display means displays the moment data more largely than the date data, and the output means records the date data more largely than the moment data.
According to the invention, the display means displays the moment data more largely than the date data. Accordingly, a user can easily recognize the present time so that the user can use the printer for the wrapping material instead of a clock. The output means records the date data more largely than the moment data. Accordingly, the user can easily recognize the date when the article was wrapped and preserved, which are the most important data for the user.
The invention comprises input means for inputting predetermined data, wherein the output means records the predetermined data inputted by the input means on the surface of the wrapping material.
According to the invention, the printer comprises the input means for inputting predetermined data; therefore, the predetermined data, other than the time data, can be recorded on the wrapping material.
In the invention, it is preferable that the predetermined data is a name of a person who wrapped the article or a name of an owner of the article.
According to the invention, the name of the person who wrapped the article or the name of the owner of the article can be recorded on the wrapping material; therefore, it is possible to check easily who possesses the wrapped article. In other words, even if plural persons use the single printer of the invention, it does not happen that who possesses the wrapped article cannot be understood.